Sports Stew: ‘Pope’ was one of Army’s all-time best athletes

By WAYNE STEWART
For MVI Sports
For those lucky enough to have seen Donora’s Arnold Galiffa perform his incredible feats, this story is a refresher course on “Pope.” For younger readers, consider this to be a history lesson, as Galiffa figures richly in Valley lore and national sports history as well.
His 1944 Dragons football team won the WPIAL Class AAA championship with him under center and as a defensive back. The team went 9-0, capping things off by claiming the championship in a 35-7 breeze over New Kensington.
The DHS offense averaged 36 points per game and surrendered a total of 42 points.
That same year, he was a star on the basketball team which also steamrolled its way to the WPIAL title. Winning both crowns in the same season gave Donora the distinction of being the first team to accomplish this.
Galiffa was named All-State in both sports.
The 6-2, 190-pound Galiffa wasn’t through that year. He was a bright spot on both the track and field and the baseball teams. Before leaving school, he racked up 12 varsity letters. It led to 27 colleges trying to lure him to their school.
He chose to play for Army, where this time he earned All-American honors and more letters, 11, than any other West Point grad ever except for one. He finished as high as fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1949. To top things off, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

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